Kamen Rider Grimm
by WolfCross
Summary: With the world locked under chaos, ruled under the thumb of the goddess of the Grimm, hope is in short supply. New Grimm who possess people and turn them into powerful monsters are spread throughout the world, and none can stop them but a new group of heroes, the Kamen Riders. Desolate, lost and hated, Leif Garrison continues the fight, with Ruby Rose at his side, in a new journey.
1. Episode 1: The Power They Fear

_**Behold, the new Kamen Rider Grimm! This is a passion project I've always wanted to make, I hope you enjoy it, and comment what you think, it really helps me out!**_

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To think it had been only five months since the world nose-dived into the fiery pits of hell. Beacon tower had been razed to the ground, communication with the outside world had been shut down, and Vale was under martial law for ages until the worst of The Fall until it calmed down, locking itself off for its own protection. The effects could even be felt all the way to Patch, despite being so far away. People were unnerved, terrified, with an air of anxiety blanketed over the entirety of the island. Children didn't play around the parks nearly as much for the fear of Grimm dotting the area here and there. Any sane community would have fallen to despair over such travesties without hope.

Who would have thought hope came in pint-sized portions? That is how Taiyang, Ruby's overprotective father put it anyway. A bun of cinnamon, sprinkled with essence of love and dorkiness, was keeping the island together somehow. People everywhere told her they smiled and felt safe whenever she was around, almost like everything will be okay. In all honesty, she couldn't understand what the fuss was about. Killing Grimm around the island was just her doing what she loved, her job, her peace of mind. Then again, if it made people feel safe, bonus points for a happy day!

Killing Grimm felt like routine at this point. Even though at least seven Beolwolves surrounded her, she felt barely any fear. Firing Crescent Rose fired Ruby at rapid speed, blade quickly springing out. With a yelp, and a streak of silver, the farthest Beowolf was split in two before it could let out its last roar, spraying black mist everywhere. Using the momentum, she twirled the scythe, splitting two more like meat in a buzzsaw. One of them struck down with its claw, being knocked back with the handle of Crescent Rose, and split down the middle. Kicking off, Ruby unleashed her semblance, bursting into a spiral of roses, rushing through the rest of the horde, tearing them asunder with ease.

"Done and done! Just in time for lunch." Ruby cheered, rushing off through the forest, ignoring the sweat pouring from her brow from the hot day.

The moment she got home, the smell of freshly baked cookies, and gentle heat of a fireplace filled her with ease, as well as her dad checking her up and down, hounding about every little scratch. Home sweet home, just how it should be. "Dad, I'm a huntress, you know." She giggled, sitting in her comfortable chair, kicking her boots off. "Getting a little banged up every now and again is just part of the job."

"I'm well aware of that, Ruby, but that doesn't mean a father can't get worried about his baby girl risking her neck everyday for our sake." Taiyang pressed. "Especially with what's been going on lately. The worlds going mad out there."

"Right? It's perfect for adventure! Can't you see it? Travelling across the countryside, through the valleys, the treacherous oceans, the devastating deserts, to save the world? Doesn't that sound so cool?" Ruby chirped, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

Taiyang seized up, looking like he was going to have a heart attack after hearing that. "That just makes me want to lock you up in your room and never let you back out."

"Aww dad, I was just playing." Ruby laughed.

"No you weren't. That's the worst part. This is your father's life on the line! I'll suffer from a stroke the moment you leave through that door, you hear me? A stroke, I say!" Taiyang spouted dramatically. "Don't you want your father to live a Xiao Long Life? Eh? Eh?" He punctuated, nudging Ruby, who's face looked like a cat being sprayed with water.

"Anymore of those and I might have a stroke myself." Ruby groaned. The sound of footsteps around the living room, as well as something clattering to the ground in line with a bunch of swearing put Ruby in cold sweat. "So, sis is out of her room? That's a great sign."

"As good a sign as any." Taiyang said in a low, rather sad tone. A silence fell over the two as they silently argued with their eyes the best way to approach her. "Well, she loves our cookies, so I might as well try and hand them over, right?"

"It'll be a good start." Ruby said in agreement. "I'll get us started."

"Good luck."

Ruby carefully tip-toed into the living room, where the almost ghost-like tall blonde woman sat, a newspaper propped underneath the stump that used to be her right arm. The blonde bombshell stared at the TV, not even taking in what was going on. Just staring endlessly with a distant, dreamy gaze. The bags under her eyes didn't make approaching any easier. "Hey, Yang, I'm uh… I'm home." She said, sitting next to her. "Watching anything new? Oh the news? That's boring! I heard that X-ray and Vav's getting a reboot! Isn't that cool?"

Nothing. Yang didn't even acknowledge her sister had entered the room. On the contrary, she turned the TV volume up. "-And thanks to the added security measures, Atlas has closed off its borders. No incoming mail, packages, or supplies may be sent at this time without serious evaluation. Onto other news, more sighting of a new type of Grimm has been surfacing once again. We are still at a loss on how they managed to sneak into our cities, but the rise of the recent hero Kamen Rider Aura, has been responsible for the lack of casualties. Still no photo evidence has been found so far of our savior. Still, perhaps with this savior around, we can breathe a happy sigh of relief that Vale can live another day."

"Heh, I guess we aren't the only family kicking butt around here, eh? He sounds so cool, you think we can meet him one day?" Yang didn't take her eyes off the TV, almost like she didn't hear her. Ruby nudged her a few times, but it was clear she wanted to remain despondent. Ruby looked away, feeling dejected. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you be now. Just know that no matter what, I'm always still here for you, alright?"

"Yeah. Of course you are." Yang murmured.

That was the icing on the cake. Ruby ran from the room, nearly in tears, rushing past her dad with a hasty by, slamming the door behind her.

Of all the tragedies the world had thrown at Ruby, Yang's incident tore her apart the most. Her own sister was pretending nobody existed. Losing her arm was one thing. Losing her partner, the girl who meant the world to her, was another thing entirely. It was almost as if Yang had given up, completely falling into the despair that was starting to spread across the world. It was torture seeing her like that. She would have done anything just for her to call her a raging dork just one more time.

Staying home just put a damper on her already souring mood. Luckily, the market was still open, filling the entirety of the area with the delicious scent of sweets, bakery goods, and chestnuts roasting over an open fire. That smell alone was enough to drive that inner sweet demon in her belly mad with greed. It wasn't much in terms of grandeur, not many markets were on the island, but simplicity had its own kind of charm. It made you appreciate everything that it had to offer rather than gawk at the numerous amounts of things that you'd never use.

Ruby danced along the stalls, advertising cute little toys, sugary sweet, and just about the cutest stuffed animals she had ever seen. The warm glow of the few chattering people and hopeful atmosphere quickly brought her spirits up. Who cares about the world ending disasters, and constant fear of death. We have cookies and strawberries. The world need not anything else. Apparently some of the stall workers didn't feel the same because they were griping and yelling about missing things. Some people these days never learn that you shouldn't take what isn't yours.

"Ah, my watch! Who took my watch?" A man randomly screamed in the slowly growing crowd of people.

Ruby's head snapped over to the older man, who was getting close to destroying the sweets stall out of frustration. "Sir, sir, please calm down, what's going on?" Ruby asked.

"What's going on? I'll tell you what's damn well going on, I lost my friggin watch! That was worth a good few thousand lien!" The old man screamed. Ruby tilted her head in confusion. How someone could buy and wear something that losable and expensive was beyond her. Even so, her duty was to the people, so why not help out?

"Don't worry, sir, I'll find the thief lickity split!" Ruby said encouragingly.

Easier said than done. Whoever that thief was, they were hiding their tracks like a master. Even asking around was getting her nowhere. In the meantime, more cases of stolen materials were reported, from lien cards in wallets, keychains, and apples, to business cards, lighters and even a coupon for a free McRonalds milkshake. How utterly dastardly, robbing this man of his refreshing strawberry or chocolate beverage. This cretin must pay with his life!

"Way to go, Ruby. You can't even find a pickpocket. Some amazing huntress you are." Ruby muttered to herself, pouting. She was close to giving up entirely until she heard an alarmed cry, and the sound of something crashing onto the ground from one of the trees. Ruby squeaked a little louder than she meant to, aiming the barrel of Crescent Rose at the stranger's face.

The stranger was… quite strange indeed. Ruby nearly slapper herself for that blatant mental note, but his appearance was something that was more than meets the eye. He was quite handsome, with a bit of a boyish excitable face that probably betrayed his real age. The man had spectacularly messy and curly red hair, something that stood out quite a bit from the norm, with brilliantly vibrant golden eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. He wore a zipped black hoodie with yellow highlights down the arms that reminded her of caution tape. The word 'Danger' was printed across the chest in bright yellow letters. But what was really shocking… is that he had no pants.

Nothing. Nada. Just boxer shorts.

It was odd how one sight can cause even the finest huntress in the world to spontaneously combust. Ruby was left blushing, stuttering mess, barely able to hold her gun up. That was probably the closest she's ever had to seeing a man's _thing_. She was almost on fire at this point. She probably wouldn't have moved a muscle if she didn't notice the massive collection of trash at the mans feet, including a pile of lien cards, coupons and even a fancy looking gold, diamond studded watch that was precariously wrapped around his thin wrist.

The stranger cleared his throat, offering a nervous smile. "Now, miss Rosy Cheeks, I know what you must be thinking. What is a supremely handsome man like me doing with this suspicious load of stuff?"

"I'm more just wondering where your pants are." Ruby mumbled uncomfortably.

"Ah ha, don't worry, my wayward maiden, for you see, you made it just in time. The true thief ran by and dropped this precious load at my feet, demanding me at gun-point no less to keep guard over it in this tree! He even stole my pants before he ran off! I was soooo scared! Thank you so much for saving me!" The stranger rambled.

Was that really the case? Well, if it was, then she actually did save the day! Score one for Ruby Rose! Ruby gullible offered him a hand, helping the pantless man to his feet. "Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you!"

"Leif. Likewise." the stranger said, shaking her hand.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that ordeal. If it helps, I'll go find the thief and… wait…" Ruby narrowed her eyes, putting her thinking cap on. "If you were mugged, why would he leave all this stuff with you and not take the watch?"

The prospective thief cleared his throat. "Um… maybe, he didn't want it anymore?

"Nice try, Leif The Thief!" Ruby shouted victoriously. "You're coming with me!"

"You'll never take me alive, coppers!" Leif shouted before running straight into Ruby. The excited thief dove into her legs, sending her folded in the air with surprising power, and took off running deeper into the forest. Ruby shook herself off, brushing dirt off her backside.

"Ah ha! We've got a runner! And…" She blinked, missing a familiar weight in her pocket. "My wallet. He took my wallet! How did he even do that?" Ruby screamed in surprise, taking off into the forest. "You think you can steal from Ruby Rose? Taste the wrath of the cookie huntress!" The chase through the forest carried on for a while, with Lief clearly at an advantage. No matter how well Ruby knew the forest, the thief hid himself well, almost like he had experience running from must more prominent hunters. Clearly this thief had a lot more going for him than just being very odd.

Ruby stopped running after a good twenty minutes of non-stop chasing, gasping for air. She desperately needed water. At least with that, she could chase that rotten thief through the night. For now, it looked like he got away. It was a small island anyway, and the next boat out wouldn't leave for another three days. Everyone new each other, so at least there was time to make sure everything was brought back safely.

The crack of her branch snapped Ruby's attention towards it. "Ha! Gotcha!" She said, aiming Crescent Rose at the clearing exit. "Come out nice and quietly before I start using live rounds instead of dummies!"

Out of the bushes came a rather tall and lithe young woman with quite a curvaceous form, and a head of lengthy pink hair, and the sharpest deep blue eyes she's ever seen. That gaze was slicing into her mind like butter, drenching her in cold sweat. "Hmm… you're smaller than she reported, but you'll do for its dinner time." She pulled out a very strange looking belt that had a very broad strap, and a buckle like an overly large ornate gate out of heaven, with thin weeds, leaves and flowers circling it, making it look almost alive. She wrapped it around herself quickly, taking out a bronze key, and a wicked callous grin.

"Henshin."

/

Nature was not the best place for someone like Leif Garrison. The bugs nipping at you continually, the constant feeling of danger around you, how uneven things felt, it was just enough to drive a man mad. Perhaps madder than he already was. Still, necessity thy name is nature. Best place to hide when things go south. People seldom ever take the time to look there properly, especially a spunky adorable huntress with a weapon that deserved an overcompensation joke if the setting called for it. Even now, straddling a tree branch to stay hidden in the bush of leaves, he had no idea if he was safe from her absurdly cute wrath.

A gleeful grin from ear to ear spread across his face. Thieving was wrong, no doubt about it, but there was something very thrilling about swiping something right out of someone's pocket, without them ever knowing. It was quite like a jolt to his heart every time he picked a pocket, or exercised his fantastic sleight of hand skills to swipe things from countertops, wrists and stalls. That burst of heart-racing excitement when you may be caught just tied it all together. Most of the time, he returned what he stole. Eventually anyway. Keeping the objects had no point unless he needed to eat. You need to survive after all, even when it feels like too much trouble at times.

He raised the glittering watch loosely strapped to his wrist, chuckling mischievously. The diamond studs glittered in the sunlight like little stars. This should fetch a nice price. Probably would be able to get some new pants too, as well as some food. Who cared about that other guy he took this from, he's probably rich enough to buy another one five times over if need be. Leif was about to hop out of the tree and leave, hoping to get it appraised, but quickly remembered something.

Wasn't there something else that he swiped?

As if on cue, a wallet fell out of his hoodie pocket. Quite a cute looking one too, embroidered with red lace ruffles and a cross keychain. The wallet he slipped out of the cute reapers pocket before he bailed. He hadn't even planned on taking it, his hands just moved on instinct. Oh well, at least he would get some cash out of this.

When he opened the wallet, the first thing he saw was an array of pictures. Lots of them. One of a blonde man holding his two rambunctious looking kids, one that looked quite a bit like the red reaper that chased him earlier. Further inspection shows a tattered older picture of a woman that could have been her mother, holding a baby bundled in white cloth, smiling in pure bliss.

The more Leif scrolled by, the more the feeling of guilt started to consume him. Material things could be stolen with ease. There was barely an ounce of guilt that came with that. Memories on the other hand were priceless. There was no way he could just dump this. For all he knew, this could have been the last scrap of evidence that this woman existed. Leif sighed, staring at the picture with a furrowed brow. While it was against his better judgement, he had to return this, and take off as fast as he could afterwards.

"Way to go, Leify." Leif muttered to himself, slipping out of the tree. "You couldn't have just left the wallet there." He examined the document further, taking off his hoodie and wrapping it around his waist like a kilt. Once he found the address, he took off, pushing through the forest into the small town area, and found the neat little cosy cabin house that was quite a distance from the rest of the town. He barely even knocked once before the door was flung open, much to his shock.

The muscular, tan blonde man at the door stared, eyes wide with relief that quickly changed to glumness at the sight of Leif. "And here I thought she'd come home before sundown." He muttered.

"What was that?" Leif asked curiously.

"Nothing, do you need something?" The man asked, sounding very tired.

"Nope. Nothing on my end. I just happened to find this wallet, and I wanted to return it." Leif said casually, adding a little playful chuckle for flair. "I mean, I could take it with me if you don't want it, but I'm sure a well respecting gentleman like you would like to have this back."

"Just hand it over, and step away. I'm not in the mood for…" He trailed off, sighing into the palm of his hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please come in." The blonde man ushered Leif into his home, blinking in confusion looking down at his waist. "What… happened to your pants?"

"Pants? Pretty sure you need glasses, sir. Either that, or you've been popping those funny lookin' mushrooms I found behind your place." Leif joked with a wicked grin. The blonde man glared at him, making Leif chuckle. "It's a long story involving an old man on a boat and some very terrible tasting fish."

"I'm not sure I want to know. It does sound like the start of a good joke. I could probably use it on my daughters. It might at least make one of them laugh." He said with a sigh. "You can call me Taiyang. Wait here. I think I might have a pair that'll fit." He said, walking off upstairs.

Leif was taken aback by the warm glow. Everything about the place just smells of home, from the creme colored walls, cosy furniture, and crackling fire in the fireplace. He peeked his head into the living room, spotting a very beautiful blonde haired woman with lavender eyes, staring blankly at the TV. She didn't even acknowledge he entered the room, even with him waving like a maniac. It didn't take a masters in psychology to know that this wasn't the best time to be playing 'kiss-marry-kill' with the resident downer.

A pair of dark blue jeans suddenly plopped on his head from the top of the stairs. "Toss those on. I'm sure they'll fit."

"Thanks." Leif said, sliding them on. He was going to miss that breeze between his legs, but public nudity is a good way to get yourself arrested.

"So what brings you the to Patch?" Taiyang asked. "It's not exactly the most popular resort spot on Remnant, especially these days."

Leif grinned. "Why not be here? The waves are quiet, the sun is just right, and this place is probably the farthest from the cities I can be." Probably the best place to lie low. Taiyang procured quite a suspicious gaze, so Leif decided to change the subject. "If you don't mind me asking, what's got you so down?" he asked, placing the wallet on a chair.

"I just... my daughters." Taiyang sat down, staring at the ground, covering his mouth with his hands. "They both participated in the Battle of Beacon. It was an absolute bloodbath from what I hear. My oldest even… lost her arm. Things have never really been the same since. I'm trying my damndest to hold the fort. God knows how my wife kept up with all this while she was still…" He took a deep, shuddering breath. "I can barely keep my youngest in the house, and my oldest is completely despondent."

"Sorry to hear that." Leif said genuinely.

Wouldn't you be down with everything that's been going on lately?" Taiyang asked in a low tone.

"Not a bit." Leif replied. "It's not exactly in my best interest. I've spent all this time trying to look out for number one since why bother looking out for anyone else when they just keep leaving you?"

"Because it's right." Taiyang countered. The perfect father model. One to show truth, justice and kindness was the way to go. Oh how jealous Leif was. Taiyang narrowed his eyes, no doubt working that experienced brain to dissect any detail he could on Leif. "You can fight, can't you? I can tell just by that look in your eyes."

"Yeah, I can." Leif said with a sigh. "Better than most people, actually."

"Then why don't you fight?" Taiyang demanded. "People are suffering out there, and you're running all the way to a secluded island just to stay away?"

"Trust me, you don't want me fighting." Leif muttered, staring out the window. "It's never a pleasant sight, lets just leave it at that." Even with all the training Taiyang had received to discern emotions, Leif seemed completely out of grasp. It was an odd mix of hatred and regret, that was quickly replaced by a wide, impish grin. There seemed a bit more to the kid than meets the eye.

Just like that, a foreboding feeling pounded his brain, buzzing at the back like static. A burning heat in his chest, making him fidget and shake. This sensation wasn't anything new, it was just a surprise that it would be felt here of all places. Wasn't this place supposed to be quiet, away from those kinds of Grimm? Oh well, it would be better to take care of it before it caused a panic. Leif may had been a tad selfish, he'd be the first to admit that, but he wasn't a monster.

For the most part anyway.

As if on cue, a chorus of screams erupted from the nearby village. Taiyang was out the door first, taking some strangely bulky looking orange gauntlets shouting "Yang, I'm borrowing your weapons!" Leif barely heard a grunt come out of her before the pair rushed out into the middle of the town, shocked into silence at what they saw.

The market stalls were ablaze, some reduced to piles of burnt, broken wood, sky darkening a shade from the over excess of ash floating around. Blazing heat sucked the air out of Leif's lungs, smoke making him cough. People scrambled in all directions, clutching their heads in panic. In the midst of the chaos was a humanoid-looking black and white Grimm monster, with an odd looking panthers head, covered in Grimm bone, twisted and disjointed in a sickening fashion.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Grimm like that before." Taiyang said in awe. He equipped the gauntlets, glaring at the monster. "Hey, if you can fight, pick up something and start smacking him with it."

Leif on instinct had pulled out a strange looking belt that Taiyang had never seen before. At that moment, he hesitated, the hand holding the belt shaking madly.

"What is that, a weapon or something?" Taiyang demanded after directing people away from the danger. Leif looked away in shame, the hand holding the belt drooping to his thigh. Right then, Taiyang seized Leif by his shirt, yanking him closer until they were nearly nose to angrily huffing nose. "Are you serious? Is this what you're really doing in a time of crisis? Are you blind, dammit? Look at the people! They're scared, they're helpless, they don't even know where to run! It's like you're no different from those newscasters or politicians saying they'll fix everything, but end up doing nothing! Enough with that damn fear and despair excuse. Get on your feet, grit your teeth, and actually _do_ something!"

With that, Taiyang pushed Leif to the ground, jumping in with a burst from the weapons. Experience clearly favored this past hunter, with him striking fast and hard with multiple powerful hooks and jabs on its face and stomach, gunfire bursting with each attack. The humanoid beast roared, lashing out like an animal with wild lashes with his claws. Taiyang weaved through each blow, tagging the beast as he went. Despite the heavy blows, the beast didn't move a muscle. It was like punching a wall of concrete without aura. The beast managed to get a blow in, striking Taiyang's shoulder with its claw.

What should have been a simple blow sent Taiyang flying, aura sparking as if trying to ward off a blast from a cannon. He bounced and skidded off the ground, carving through the earth, leaving a deep trail before crashing through one of the houses. The Grimm spread its arms out, sparks of light creating curved flaming blades, spinning rapidly in mid-air before being launched with a wave. They struck the pile of rubble around Taiyang, exploding in a burst of flames. Leif stared in horror, unable to move, until Taiyang, tattered and bruised, but still very much alive, crawled out of the rubble, aura flickering out.

Leif couldn't move. Power was something Leif could barely control, especially The desire to fight, to destroy, to annihilate that monster was becoming too much to handle. The urge to use this power to devour that beast made him sweat more than the heat, panting from the restraining effort.

They didn't understand. He had to be selfish. He had to. It he acted how he wanted to, if he tried to use this power to save them, everyone despise him again. He couldn't take it. But what could he do now?

The Grimm stalked over to Taiyang, drool dripping from its teeth, and raised its claw high. Leif sucked in a breath, raising his belt high again until a loud whistle echoed above the flames. An odd sounding whistle that made him feel oddly hungry. The monster suddenly turned its head in the sounds direction, shrieked, and ran off in its direction. Sirens and the sound of rescue vehicles soon came after. Taiyang looked up at him, looking very frustrated, and almost pleading.

"My daughter!" He screamed suddenly. "My daughters in danger while that thing is out there! Please find her!"

Leif sucked in a breath and ran over to him, pulling him out of the wreckage. "Look, I'm sorry alright? I truly am. It's just…"

"You're afraid of your power. I understand. But there does come a time when you have to make a choice with it. Ask yourself this. How many people are you willing to watch die before you think to act?" Taiyang raspilly demanded. Leif looked aside, feeling completely conflicted. "If you're afraid, then focus on the people under your care. Wouldn't you want to see their grateful, happy smiles when all is said and done?" He grasped Leif's shoulder. "Please."

There was nothing else for it. "I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." Leif sighed, turning sharply and running into the direction at top speed.

/

Ruby woke up to ice cold water splashing her entire body. The huntress woke up with a muffled squeak, shivering, toes curling in from the horribly chill. Instincts screamed for her to jump right into the fight, only to be stopped by thin rough ropes coiled around her wrists and ankles, along with another set binding her to a fold-up chair. She tried to cry out, voice stopped by a thick cloth tied across her mouth. The blur in her vision had started to fade, showing she was in a dark storage container, the sound of water dropping only adding to her feeling of panic.

Being a huntress meant you had to be prepared for any situation, from being wounded in the field with on one to help you, or being kidnapped and held by rogue hunters and bandits. Keep a cool head, make a point to concentrate on counting your breaths, do whatever you can to survive. At least that was what was being taught. The real deal was nothing like Ruby ever expected. Every aspect brought its own little brand of panic, and while she managed to keep calm, deep inside, she wanted nothing more than to just scream and panic.

A short, empty laugh brought her attention to the main opening gate, where that same pink-haired lady she met earlier stood, bouncing a bucket against her knee. "I can't believe that it actually worked. Here I thought the movies lied to me." Ruby narrowed her eyes in confusion. "About the water thing. The whole splash with water and you wake up? Nevermind."

Ruby mewled weakly, eyes darting everywhere for her weapon, quickly losing hope after seeing it in the pink haired ladies hands. "Yeah, no. Do you really think I'd leave you alone with this? This is sitting outside." She sighed, stretching casually, despite currently housing a kidnapped huntress in a steel container. "For what it's worth, I really don't care for this, but this Grimm needs to be sustained and grown somehow. I'll be brief with this." She opened the crate door with another sigh, stepping out. "My advice, if you feel yourself fainting from blood loss, just let it happen. You don't want to be awake for this." She advised before slamming the door, leaving Ruby alone.

A minute of silence passed by, Ruby counting her breaths to keep calm and relay plans. At that moment, a sharp metallic knock from the outside echoed within the container. Metal screeched as if being scratched by a sharp nail. The huntress was drenched in cold sweat. The sounds drifted from the walls next to her head to the door on the far end. With each little tick, Ruby's heart beat just that much harder, tears creeping to her eyes from the intense fear. Was this it? Was this how it ended? Just killed alone and forgotten in a desolate, secluded location? It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair!

Suddenly, claws tore through the metal door like wet paper, carving it apart, ripping whatever scraps were left from its hinges. Ruby's eyes went wide as dinner plates as a humanoid figure stood at the remnants of the door, staring her down. It was a black silhouette, several features jagged and extending outwards, breathing out hot steam, each breath coming out as kind of a growl. Ruby let out a muffled scream, trying to get away before it suddenly burst into a white light and in its place…

Was Leif?

"He-yo!" Leif cheered with a two finger salute. "Sorry for the wait, I had to take care of things, like getting pants for one. By the way, if you're ever down in the market area, do not trust the old fisherman down in the bay. He gave me some gnarly tasting fish, then I woke up like a day later without my wallet… or my pants. Yeah, wrap your head around that. Anyway, glad to see you're not Grimm food. You okay? You look a little dizzy."

And dizzy Ruby was. The rambling from this man was absolutely insane. Ruby tried to reply, but was stopped by the cloth. Leif apologized and removed it, quickly getting to work and untying her. "You're that thief… how did you find me?" Ruby demanded, rubbing her sore wrists.

"I have really good ears. You didn't hear the whistling?" Leif asked. Ruby shook her head. "Well, I did. And your voice too, muffled as it was." Leif looked away, shame crossing his eyes. "I was thinking of running away after I left your dad, but I heard you and I just… couldn't. I just ran in without thinking."

Ruby stared at him, eyes wondrously wide.

"What, I've got something on my- _down_!" Leif barked, tackling Ruby to the ground. Within an instant, the rest of the container was sliced to pieces, curved flaming glaives cleaving through it like butter, leaving molten metal in its wake. Ruby nearly screamed again, this time just out of pure shock at whatever panther-faced, twisted, humanoid Grimm that was, leaning against a tree. Apparently, she was back in the forest, caught in a beautiful clearing where crate used to lay.

"You've got some pretty big cajoona's for coming near me." Leif growled. "Stay behind me, and please…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Don't hate me for this."

With that, he took out a broad-banded belt with a very odd looking buckle, like the side view of a beowolf's head, mouth open wide. Leif reached into his coat, taking out what looked like a black dust vial, accented with a wolf's had. A black miasma surrounded him, with his eyes changing from a vibrant gold to a deep crimson, with black veins traveling up his cheek bones to the corners of eyes. The whites were starting to turn black. Those eyes…

They were just like a Grimm's.

"Henshin!"

He jammed the vial into the open mouth, and pounded it down with his fist. Metal music erupted from it.

_**Species realized. **_

_**Slashing, Prowling, King Of The Pack, make wake for Kamen Rider Grimm, Species… Beowolf!**_

In a flash of light, and a gust of wind, Leif stood in an odd looking black battlesuit outlined with white, looking almost skintight with a powerful looking fabric. White armor streaked with red covered his shoulders, chest, and visor, with the design reminiscing wolf claws, and two spikes on the top of the head for the ears. The gauntlets and greaves were jagged, clawed at the ends. Despite how silly it looked, it gave off a feeling of power.

He cracked his knuckles. "Even if it means pain, I will make her smile again."

All of a sudden, Leif vanished, a gust of wind bursting forth, crumpling the metal underfoot like aluminum foil. The Grimm suddenly lurched forward, Leif reappearing with his fist in its stomach. Leif's backed up, feet dancing and skidding across the ground, claws tearing the grass apart. The footwork confused the beast enough for him to lash out with with a roundhouse kick, striking its nose. Unleashing blow after blow, Leif's almost magical footwork decimated every defense the monster could set up, from its knees, to its joints, to its stomach, no where was safe. Leif was quite literally dancing his enemy to death.

The monster unleashed its glaives again, with it spiralling back and forth around him. Leif dodged deftly, flipping wildly in mid-air, turning one of the flips into a vicious axe kick that shattered the bone flaming blades like glass. Another had seemingly struck him while he was landing, much to Ruby's horror. However, the image of Leif split apart, the one struck completely fading away. Had he just cloned himself?

The monster roared in rage, its temper reaching its boiling point. Thunder crackled around it, snapping to trees, blasting their bases away, and making them fall in flames. Rain poured down heavily. Whatever it was building up to, Leif had to put a stop to it. Slamming his fist down on the mouth buckle of his Driver, four clones were created, splitting apart and scattering about. One ran to shield Ruby, taking bolt after bolt, holding steady even if it wouldn't last long. The clones contorted in midair, dodging the bolts of lighting with excellent precision. The beast had stopped roaring, making a swallowing motion before blasting a large gust of wind out, tearing the ground apart. One of the clones flung Leif into the air before getting obliterated by the gust.

"You will be missed, Leify clone!" Leif shouted over the storm. A bolt of lightning fired at him, with Leif guiding right, the bolt streaking past his shoulder.

"Gonna have to do better than that, fozzy!" Leif called, pounding down the buckle mouth again, it lighting up with red.

Leif jumped up higher than the trees, his right foot enveloped in a dark miasma.

_**Oblivion Finish!**_

Leif rained down at rapid speed, crashing through the monster, the beast suddenly exploding with a sharp scream. Leif's battlesuit dissipated, soon after, a wicked grin on his face. "At least it was quick. Can't have it get drawn out."

"That… was… awesome!" Ruby squealed in excitement, tightly hugging her new friend. "What kind of weapon is that? Can I tinker with it? Can I get one, please? I wanna do that too!"

"Trust me, this is the last thing you want." Leif chuckled. He tilted his head at her confused look. "What?"

"Your heart. It's not beating."


	2. Episode 2: A Thieve's Comeuppance

_**Here we are with Episode 2. A LOT of plans have been made for this in the future, so we're in this for the long haul. Hope you're all up for the ride. Please Review what you think, and thank you for reading!**_

* * *

It was hard to believe little slices of heaven still existed on this fracture planet called Remnant. Even amidst the chaos, the turmoil, the distrust among the nations, it was hard to believe that someone still had the kindness to take a stranger into their home, give them warmth, and even encouraging words. Such a factor seemed impossible to consider for the mighty warrior nerd supreme that was Leif Garrison, yet here he was, laying on a guest bed in Casa de Xiao-Long, soaking up whatever sunlight through the window, willing everything in his power not to shout 'photosynthesis'. It seemed to raise more questions than answers. It raised even more red flags that something was going horribly wrong, but who ever listened to that red alert beeping in their heads anyway?

A moment of realization smacked the redhead in the face. He wasn't moving. He was stagnant for the first time in nearly two years. Two years since this curse had been placed on him. The mighty stop sign that was relaxation had embedded itself deep within his brain, and for once, he had nowhere to go. What an odd sensation after so long. After a few hours of staring at the ceiling, counting every crack it had, he stretched, and sat up. Maybe it would be best to get up and get going. This was still a strangers home after all. What certified genius such as himself would even try?

The home still had such a beautiful rustic feel. It didn't just feel like home, it smelt of it, sounded like it, if that even made sense. Even going down the stairs towards the family dining room, where Ruby Rose sat at the table in her pajama's head nearly dunked into her milk bowl from falling asleep mid-bite, and the blonde stallion himself, Taiyang, who'd been giving him evil eyes since he entered the house. Who would blame him? If your teenage daughter brought an older boy home, the most evil monsters in history would have to bow to your ferocity.

"Mornin', Chief." Leif said with a wave of his hand. "Had fun counting those sheep?"

"Not exactly. I was dreaming about my teenage daughter going against my wishes, and brought home a dangerous rebel." Taiyang said with a tight glare. "I better still be dreaming."

Leif gulped, sitting down. "Yes sir, this is definitely a dream. The sandmans still got a bit more dust to throw in your eyes. Just don't test it by pelting me full of holes. I am very aware of your families collection of weapons."

"Then be on your best behaviour. I have over twenty years of target practice on my belt, don't test me." Taiyang warned. He sighed, shaking his head. "But you are a guest here, and I'm not about to treat you like trash. Especially with my daughter here." Taiyang slid a bowl of cereal underneath Leif's nose, sloppily pouring milk in, splashing Leif a little bit. "Eat up. Breakfast is the best meal of the day after all."

Leif had a feeling that Ruby being here was a godsend. Just how worse could this conversation between them could have gone without her around? "Well, I would hate to make a _meal _out of it, but I can't really eat it."

Taiyang actually smirked, stifling a laugh. "Its an offer you can't refuse, kid. It is pretty rude to not take it. I'll turn into quite the _cereal_ killer if you don't take the offer while it's hot."

Leif burst out laughing. "Don't _milk_ it, old man. I'm tougher than I look. Although, I _dairy_ you to try!"

Both of the neanderthals laughed like hyena's, heads nearly pressed against the table in hysterics. "M-Maybe you can _cheese_ your way out of-"

"Aaah, enough!" Ruby screamed, clutching the sides of her head as if this plague was the worst in all of history. "Listening to this is killing whatever life I have left! Please stop before I croak!"

"It appears Rosy Cheeks here can't understand the true high standard humor must follow." Leif said, miming poking up an invisible monocle. "Who would have thought a hero as grand as yourself would exude such an unorthodox way of thinking. How could you?"

"Please, Leif, it's early in the morning, and I'm barely awake. I will do anything for just some quiet, alright?" Ruby begged, her sweet red cheeks pressed against the table.

Leif chuckled. "Sorry, I'm done. Anyway, I should see myself off. I'd better clean myself up before the day gets started. See ya, papa Lovedaddy. See ya, Rosy Cheeks." He said with a little wave before seeing himself off out of sight.

"Does he have to keep those nicknames up?" Taiyang groaned, taking another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"It can't be any better than those puns you keep telling." Ruby groaned drowsily, missing her mouth completely with her spoon and sending its contents onto her lap. She pouted, glaring at the little mess like it was a Grimm-spawn. "Oh phooey."

Taiyang's gaze sharpend right then. "Are you sure you're alright? Nothing hurts? You aren't sick?" He demanded.

"No dad, I'm just fine." Ruby giggled. "Aside from sore wrists and a ringing ear drum, I'm just fine. No ones gonna kidnap me again, trust me."

"You try hearing on the news that your daughter spent nearly five hours captive in a storage container, about to be Grimm food." He sighed, shaking his head. "You're a big, tough girl, I know. Much tougher than me at your age, but that doesn't change the fact that you could have died to… whatever that was. I have no idea what kind of Grimm that was. I can only hope we never come across it again."

"If we ever do, we have someone like Leif to take him out! You should've seen him!" She burst into an excited ramble, bouncing up and down in her seat in pure excitement. "He was so fast I couldn't even see him! There were lightning bolts, and he was just dodging them, like _zoom_, and he came down with a wicked kick, just _crash_ everywhere, and the monster exploded… somehow, but it was cool anyway!"

"Speaking of our new guests, something doesn't seem right with him." Taiyang cut across, narrowing his eyes on the table. "He hasn't eaten a bite of anything in the day and a half he's lived in this house, and so far, he hasn't even slept. He won't talk about his past or anything, and it seems like he's barely breathing. Doesn't that spell odd to you?"

Ruby stopped mid-hop, mouth agape, eyes wider than the bowl she was eating out of. That tears it. His baby girl was hiding something from her father. Now would be the best time to activate the stern father switch and interrogate her for whatever she knew. "Ruby-"

"I'd love to talk, dad, but I've got a buuunch of stuff to do. My list is chock full to the brim. I gotta get started on it before it's too late. Thanks for breakfast dad, love you, bye!" Ruby sputtered quickly, rushing over the table, all but spilling her bowl over to kiss his cheek sloppily before disappearing in an explosion of fair-smelling rose petals.

Taiyang sighed, looking at the mess everywhere. "At least it smells nice in here." He said, taking out a broom.

/

Those who said the outside world was a fantastic place to clear your head clearly have never seen Remnant. There was enough chaotic noise buzzing around that staying inside was the golden rule, especially these days when not even a hunter out and about could stem the danger. Even so, despite the general rule, the bravest of the brave decided that the Grimm-covered, bandit-laden, terrorist-stained countryside would be a fantastic place to play a little game of 'life choice trivia'. Still, if you are one of those insane few who love the outdoors enough to dance with danger, then good luck to you. Insane, Leif Garrison is not.

Even so, Ruby Rose seemed to have the opposite opinion. It wasn't even nine o'clock before the bubble of energy, cookie dough and hope burst through the door, trying to drag the wayward rider out into the open for a walk. That glare from Taiyang would melt an entire ice cap. Leif just barely managed to convince him that everything would be fine before he let them out into the forest, where they walked around and saw the sights. Even though nature wasn't exactly a favorite of Leif's, it was certainly much better with good company, especially with someone with such charm.

Ruby stretched out, yawning loudly. By the smell of her breath, someone took a little one too many from the cookie jar before leaving home. "Aah, don't you just love the mountain air?" Leif vehemently shook his head. She scrunched her eyebrows gazing at him. "Seriously, Leif? Its so clean and fresh up here! How can you not enjoy it?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely enjoying millions of trees and grass continually farting up gas into my mouth. Thank you science, you are a treat." Leif joked. It hit its mark as Ruby burst into a fit of giggles.

"I guess you're kinda right. If were going the technical route, we're all breathing in plant farts." Ruby giddly said. "My guess is that you're not exactly used to too much good 'plant farts' then."

Leif grinned. "Not really, I wasn't really raised around it." He clarified, stifling laughter at their new little injoke. "Plant farts… I love it. Post it. Put it on a T-shirt. The world must know."

"Where were you raised anyway?" Ruby asked. It felt as if that question had been asked a dozen times now, and he was tempted to just give the same answer. Ruby's little pout did change a little bit of that temptation though.

"Vale. Downtown Vale as a matter of fact. I don't really know my parents, and I lived most of my life in the Bell Orphanage. Not really much to speak of. The kids were kinda dicks, but apart from that, pretty uneventful." Leif answered casually, kicking down a small dirt anthill without thinking about it.

Ruby pouted once again. "Really? Sounds a little boring, don't you think? I thought a superhero's story would be more epic! Robust even! Like maybe you were a runaway alien with nowhere to go but an island full of kind folk! Or maybe a desolate warrior running from his dark past, only to find purpose in life with the kind folk of Patch!" She excitedly chattered, pointing her chest out in a sort of hero pose. All Leif could do was laugh.

"Well someone had a little too much essence of insanity in their breakfast today." Leif said.

"Oh shush you." Ruby grumbled, bopping him dead in the stomach, only serving to make him laugh harder. "C'mon now, that can't be it. How did you get your Grimm powers? Were you born with them?" she abruptly gasped excitedly. "Are you part Grimm?"

Leif's face suddenly tightened, a mixture of loathing, sadness and agitation forming in his gaze. "Enough. Thanks, but I'll keep that to myself."

Ruby was taken aback slightly. Leif hadn't done anything but smile and joke since they met. Now at the mention of his abilities, it was almost like he was an animal preparing to fight. Perhaps it was best to leave it alone. "Sorry, I just wanted to know more about you." She said quietly, looking away dejectedly.

"It's alright." Leif said, patting her head, face returning back to normal. "I don't know you just yet. Maybe if I knew you a little more, you might… understand." That blank sadness was back again, subtle, but still there. For a moment, there was no emotion in his face before his usual smile quickly replaced it, as if nothing happened at all. She sighed and continued walking silently. Feeling guilty, Leif poked and prodded at her arm, hoping to annoy her into submission. "Oi. Oi. Oooi."

"Whaaat?" Ruby groaned, clearly annoyed.

"Would slaughtering some Grimm cheer you up?" Leif asked, pointing at a few beowolves feeding on scraps of sheep in another clearing not to far from them. Ruby's eyes suddenly lit up bright, and then was suddenly replaced with a confident grin.

"As a matter of fact, it would. Let's do this!" Ruby cheered, hopping in, Crescent Rose in full carnage mode. With a blast from her rifle, she was off, becoming a whirling blur in midair. The devastating buzzsaw twirling seemed to phase through one of the beowolves, with it splitting apart into many pieces almost an instant later. With a set of will-crafted and performed twirls of her sythe, the beowolves were taken apart one by one with the force and grace of a true prodigy.

Leif stood by, arms crossed, smiling. The huntress was something to behold. Every motion seemed on point, perfect by definition. It was quite a sight to behold and respect. His marveling was interrupted by hot drool dripping down on his the back of his neck, making him shiver unpleasantly and grimace. With a growl, he span, jamming his hand arm completely through its chest, tearing through flesh and bone alike. Aggressively, he yanked his hand back, spilling black haze, along with bits of hazing flesh everywhere, with the Beowolf collapsing to the ground.

The grimm immediately began to evaporate, but the chunk of flesh in his hand did not. He didn't move, only staring at it while the battle cries and sounds of battle turned dull. The entirety of reality became that piece of meat in his hand. He licked his lips, cold sweat making his entire body shiver. There it was again, the roaring of blood in his ears, the dangerous throbbing in his heart that increased continually, the utter temptation. Not here. Not now. He had to resist, he had to resist, he had to-

"Ah!" Leif cried out in alarm as Ruby's hand patted his back, making him drop the piece of meat. The instant it left his hands, the piece evaporated into haze.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awake!" Leif quickly sputtered, head darting back and forth in a panicked fashion to see Ruby behind him. He cleared his throat, brushing himself off. "You uh… did great out there. Real top of the line huntress, you are."

Ruby's cheeks went a little red at that compliment, accompanying her wide grin. "Why thank you. Just a piece of what team RWBY has to… offer." In a split second, all that enthusiasm was gone, replaced by head-hanging sadness and silence. Leif bit his lip. He wasn't the only one with secrets to hide. Nothing for it then.

"C'mon." He said, taking her by the wrist. "I think it's best we get to know each other the right way. Let's test those legs out and race to town, Rosy Cheeks! Loser pays!"

That brought some of her old mood back. "You're on, Leify!" And took off running.

Leif chuckled. There was no way in hell to avoid paying now.

/

Did anyone really care these days? Yang wondered that every single day. Every day, there was some horrific news of random incidents happening everywhere, from minor petty crimes to outright horrific acts of murder. Crime was abound, grimm infestations became common storyboards to shut your ears off to, what kind of world did they live in now that mass slaughterings like this were becoming just white noise in the eyes of the news? Just another everyday circumstance? It felt easier just to give it all up these days. In fact, that was exactly what Yang Xaio-Long did.

It was almost like a regular schedule at this point. Get up, shower as best as she could, check the mailbox, maybe eat, watch TV, then sleep. She doesn't even remember if she had changed clothes much since the start of the week, but sitting on the couch in the dark room lit with the TV, she didn't care right now. It felt wrong, but everything she did had a certain weight of utter despair, like the simplest thing was so hard to do. Most days, she still talked to her family. Some days, like this one in particular, just wore on her heavily to the point where it almost hurt to talk to people. Wasn't it taboo for a Xaio-Long to give up like this? Who gave a damn. The world sure didn't. Her so-called friends didn't. Her sister wouldn't anymore. She'll just leave eventually. They always did.

Yang's eyes were barely open. She could scarcely read the banner of the news article, but couldn't bother to commit it to memory. She did hear someone enter the room, but couldn't be bothered to acknowledge whoever it was as she scratched her arm-stump, trying to retain any kind of feeling that was there. Maybe it was another house guest that her dad had let walk in, not knowing he was currently napping in the upstairs bedroom.

No, the stranger had quite a lithe form, curvaceous and shapely, with a devious grin on her cute face. A cute face that betrayed the darkness lurking within. "Yang Xaio-Long, is it?" She asked.

"What do you want?" Yang asked a little impatiently.

"You as a matter of fact. Tell me something. Do you feel despair?" The woman asked.

Yang scrunched her brows. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you another one of those preachers? Thanks for your whole blessing spiel, but I'm not in the mood. There are cookies by the door. Have a good one." She said tiredly, not wanting to see anyone right now.

"Well now, I suppose that I was right on the money. Good. Another Vector to add to the list." She said, pulling out a syringe.

Yang's eyes went wide suddenly as old combat instincts forced her from her seat, flinging her blanket at the attacker. The pink haired woman moved too fast for her to see, pushing the blanket aside mid-air, and jamming the needle into her neck, making Yang cry out sharply in pain.

Almost instantly, every vein in Yang's neck popped out as her breath and body seized up. Every muscle tense horrifically, her eyes nearly rolling back into her head. Breathless, she sank to the floor, body convulsing and gasping for what little air she could have. Soon, her skin turned milky white, horns and scales spouting across her entire body as she roared in pain.

"More despair than I thought. You'll make a lovely Vector." The woman jeered. "Better than that dumbass with the money issues down in town." She shook her head, turning it back to grin at Yang. "Don't worry. When the pain stops, you'll be a new girl." With a grin, she turned and exited the room, leaving Yang writing in agony on the floor. The last thing she heard was her clothing tear away and a bloodcurdling inhuman roar echoing throughout the forest before she closed the door.

/

To this day, Leif could never understand the habits of shoppers. The square had nearly been ravaged the day before, with some of the damage still withstanding. Some stalls were outright burnt down, but were replaced by similar already. People hustle and bustled out and about, swarming the stalls like hungry mosquitoes, draining whatever supplies they had left. It was almost uncanny just how fast they could rebuild all of this like nothing at all happened. Scary even. What kind of island was this?

Leif and Ruby tried wasting their time, circling around the town square somewhat awkwardly. If anyone asked, they were just shopping, but really, they were trying to get rid of that awkward waft of air that just wouldn't seem to go away. At the very least, things were starting to calm down as they chatted nonchalantly, however, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling something was off with the people around them. Strangers shied away from Leif, guided their children away from him, and some outright glared and grumbled when he passed them. Leif seemed not to notice, or more looked as if he was pretending to ignore it, staring at the road ahead with a smile on his face.

"Hey Leif, don't you notice these people staring at you?" Ruby asked.

"I'm more concerned with the fact that this place is up and running again after only a day and a half." Leif replied. "Look at this place. It's almost like nothing happened. Are you people robots or something?"

"No, Leif." Ruby giggled. "Our islands a little small, and Grimm are infesting about a third of it. The hunters around the neighborhood keep things safe and secure, but we often have to rebuild anyway. That monster wasn't really anything new in terms of damage."

"Good lord, you people are robots." Leif muttered, shaking his head. "I'm on an island full terminators with happy faces. This is terrifying."

"Oh shush." Ruby chastised, bopping him in the stomach again.

"Aw, is in need of a violence patch?" Leif jeered. She bopped his stomach again, too caught in laughter to yell at him even further. After she finished however, she heard a lot of jingling in one of his pockets. Ruby sighed, shaking her head.

"Leif?"

"What's up, Rosy Cheeks?" Leif asked casually.

"What's in your pockets?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Leif's face hadn't changed a tone or shade, however there was a notable amount of sweat bordering at his brow.

"Nothing worth talking about-" Leif didn't even get to finish before Ruby yanked his jacket off him and shook it all out. Within an instant, the ground was littered with stolen trinkets, from toys to small bits of jewelry. The amount was staggering, almost up to the huntresses kneecaps. When was there time to do _any _of this? Whatever kind of sleight of hand he had was legendary. Impressed as she was, she still gave him lame gaze. "Okay, before you get mad-"

"Leif, what is all of this?" Ruby demanded, clearly not about to take any excuses.

"Stuff that I… borrowed." Leif managed, rubbing the back of his head. "Look, would you mind keeping your voice down? You're gonna cause a scene."

Ruby sighed. "Leif, where did you get all this? Why did you even take this stuff? Are you going to use it? Sell it?"

"I really don't know." Leif replied, with a sigh. "Look, I just kinda like to swipe things. It's fun, kinda like a little thrill every no and again, you know? Plus, who are we kidding? They aren't gonna miss it."

"Do you not see what's wrong with this, Leif?" Ruby growled, glaring at him. "Stealing as a whole is just wrong. No matter what context you put it in, its just wrong." Leif ruffled his hands through his hair. How naive could this one girl be? Does she not understand anything about the way the world worked? Leif did. It ate him up and spat whatever humanity left back out. "Look at this." She said, picking up a yo yo. "Everything has a purpose. This could have been a little boy's first and only toy. And you just took it without a second thought. Or that." She quickly pointed at a ring. "That could have been someone's wedding ring. And now its gathering dorito crumbs in some stinking pocket."

"Look, Rosy Cheeks, I'm not about to be lectured by a-"

"By a what? A child? At least I understand basic morality, Leif." She sighed, shaking her head. "Listen, having fun is alright. You can have whatever kind of fun you want, but a line has to be drawn at some point. Object's have value, and just taking them away is heartless. Think about it. I almost broke when my wallet was stolen. That was… the only piece of my mother I had left. I would have been devastated coming home without that. I would forget her face… and I would never feel the same. These are people's lives. I could never just take everything from them."

Leif bit his lip, feeling his chest clench up. It was getting unbearable to listen to this, like an icepick getting hammered repeatedly into his non-beating heart. The air felt surprisingly a lot colder as he stared at the ground. "If only people had that same kind of sentiment for me."

"I'm sorry about whatever you went through, but that doesn't mean it makes this habit any better." Ruby said sadly. Ruby was about to speak more before one of the vendors flagged them down, trying to get their attention. Being the good Samaritan huntress that Rosy Cheeks was, she took Leif by the hand and guided him towards the vendor. "We're not done talking about this. Just think about what I said… please?"

Leif said nothing, only following the pair into the dusty tent. The moment the flaps were shoved aside, the horrid smell of exotic candles, balms and wax invaded Leif's nostrils. He recoiled, clutching his throat and hacking quietly like a cat trying to churn out an aggressive hairball. Ruby cocked a brow at the ever so graceful rider practicing his cat routine. She was lucky that she didn't have the sense of smell that would make bloodhounds blush. What was probably some inconvenience to her was a travesty to him.

"What's the matter with you?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing." Leif wheezed. "Just thinking of every life choice that put me into this tent and regretting every single one of them. Anyway, you wanted something from us, mister..."

"Patrick." The vendor barely grunted as he wrung his fingers together, drumming the tips against his knuckles hastily and nervously. Those grey strands in his hair seemed about a decade too early. "The last few months have not been very kind to anyone, have they?"

"Are you alright, sir" Ruby asked, concerned.

"Alright?" the vendor scoffed. "I suppose you could say that. It's been a long few days. Longer than most days I reckon. Even before all this Communication business went about, my family and I were never the most well off in Patch. This isn't a rich island, and neither were we, but we made do. Even after The Fall, we were happy. I thought so anyway."

"I sense a great big 'but' in there." Leif uttered, tensed. Stories like this were common and numerous among the many people suffering during the chaotic events. No matter how calm the seas were when the story started, there was always a storm at the end to drag it straight to hell. Never a happy ending. Leif had already began to grow numb to it, but had Ruby? He hoped so. Even the strong had a weak point.

"Our parents died. Cancer. That's the short end of it." He said, voice cracking. "Our father, left a watch for me and my brother Dale. It was a very nice one, studded with diamonds, glitterin' like the brightest star you ever saw."

Leif's chest seized up once again, fingers curling into fists. There the guilt was, pressing down like an anvil. This was exactly what he promised not to do. Stealing memories. Stealing something that they could never get back, all just for some uncontrollable fun. Some mischief to pass the day over with some monetary gain. Something innocent and… childish. There was no other word for it. This was becoming childish. There was no limit, and it was getting out of hand. He glanced at Ruby, who looked like she was pressuring herself, most likely fighting through every mental block imagionable to resist ratting the rat out.

"Next thing I know, in the middle of the day, it got stolen right from his wrist. I don't know how. Whoever did it must have the hand of a ghost, 'cuz we didn't notice nothin'. My brother went mad lookin' for it. I haven't seen him since. It's been two days now." Patrick finished, knuckles nearly white from tight wringing of his fingers. The poor man was shaking like a leaf on a windy day. "He's all I have left. I don't know what to do, so I'm turnin' to you Ruby. You help everyone here. You're like a little diamond treasure, sugar. Please, help find my brother."

At that moment, Leif shot out of his seat fast enough for the chair to tip over and crash to the ground. Both the other inhabitants nearly jumped a foot in the air from the sudden motion. Filled with resolve, the red rider spun on his heel, then began marching out of the tent.

"Hey, where're you going?" Ruby called after him

"To take one last thing. A little responsibility." Leif answered, taking out his Driver and quickly equipping it.

/

The roaring, crashing sea was such an odd thing to make a man think. Reevaluate if you will. For a while, ever since this whole ordeal of becoming Kamen Rider Grimm had started, it was important to find whatever fun could be had, especially in a life of loneliness and strife. No matter how much chaos was caused. But there was always a line that could never be crossed, and Leif crossed that border a long time ago. It was too late for apologies, especially when this was the second time. No, this was the time for action.

Standing his ground on the rocky cliff sides, Leif outstretched his arm, focusing on the palm of his hand, imagining a handle in it. A strange pressure pushed against his palm, as a low, rumbling growl, could be heard over the roaring seas. With a wicked splash, a white, red-streaked motorbike coated in grimm-bone armor, screeching to a halt at Leif's feet, rumbling and growling as if it were somehow alive. In Leif's honest, he had no clue of this motorcycle was alive or not. It followed him wherever he went, came when it was called, and operated on free will, so for all he knew, it might have.

Leif boarded the motorcycle and rode off at a high speed through the forest, evading trees, carving a makeshift trail out of whatever foliage was in the way. Relying on Leif's sharp senses, he pressed on, feeling that same pressure in his head and chest again. That same intensifying heat and sense of danger. There was a clearing not far from a waterfall up ahead. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, with just the right array of fauna and flowers, ankle-high grass, and sunlight reflecting off every surface, bringing a nice colorful glow. It would be perfect if their wasn't some mangled humanoid beast standing in the middle of it, snarling viciously.

"Found you." Leif muttered, stepping off the still growling bike. "Looking a little worse for wear, aren't you?"

The monster snarled in return, treading the ground under its feet like a raging bull, about to charge. It seemed somehow stranger looking than the last monster, standing as a pale, heavily veined faced humanoid, covered in scales that looked almost exactly like coins. Wrapped around both sides of him, from shoulder to hip, were very large watches worn like belts. Its face was mottled, bruised, and half covered with coin scales, with purely black eyes. Whatever it was, it looked more dangerous than the last one.

"Yeah, I can see why you're mad. I would be too if some brat decided to play pilfer on your stuff." Leif said with a sigh. "Looking for this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the diamond-studded gold watch he stole days ago.

Almost instantly upon seeing it, the monster roared, stamping its feet further into the earth. It suddenly flicked its hand out, and sent a few of its scales rocketing towards Leif. He ducked quickly, the coils whistling loudly above his head before crashing into a tree behind him, shattering its base and sending it down.

"Yikes, careful! That could've took my head off!" Leif shouted, taking out his Beowolf Vial. "Fine, I'd better end this quickly while there's still something human left in you. Henshin!"

He quickly jammed the vial into the drivers open mouth, prompting a dark metal tune.

_**Species Realized.**_

_**Prowling, Slashing, King Of The Pack, Make way for Kamen Rider Grimm, species Beowolf!**_

"Even with this curse… I'll make you smile again." Leif said, voice distorted, sounding like a dull growl.

Leif kicked off the ground, charging forward at a blurring rapid speed, almost appearing to vanish. Dirt flew from the kick off point, creating a small crater where the rider once stood. With several waves of the beasts arms, coils flew in tandem, slicing through the air like bullets. The Rider strafed side to side, occasionally flipping with the agility of a gymnast, kicking a few coins out of the air. Screeching to a halt just in front of the monster, Leif used the gathered momentum to unleash a powerful roundhouse kick. It hit on target right on the monsters head, but stopped short, pain shooting up his ankle and leg, almost as though he had just kicked a diamond pipe.

The monster hadn't budged an inch.

"Ow! Ow! Damnit, why?" Leif screamed in pain, bouncing on one foot, holding his busted toe. "Of course you'd have to be a living marble man!" One quick swat across his chest was all it took to send the rider flying into a tree quite a distance away, breaking it down entirely. The blow was enough to leave quite a bit of ringing in his ears.

Coins split the wind once more, sailing towards the rider at the speed of bullets. A series of quick evasive flips and weaves saved him. The burning heat of the accelerated coins charred the ground underneath, causing trails of flames to follow, licking against his ankles and feet occasionally, but not doing damage. With a spinning back kick, Leif kicked a tree down, holding it in front of him as a makeshift shield before charging, coins continually chipping away at the thick bark. Screeching to a halt, sucking in a breath, he span, smashing the tree into the Grimm, sending it flying and grinding to a halt across the ground. Not missing a beat, he reached out, a bulky sword flew out of the fleshy pouch at its side.

The Grimmsabre. A red blade protruding from the a veiny small beowolfs headpiece, almost seeming to growl in his grip. It should be enough to punch through whatever that thing was made out of. It was a hope anyway. Kicking off with enough speed to vanish, the rider appeared as a blur, rapid slashing and hacking at whatever was in reach of the beast. Sparks rained down with each low, each attempt of the beast to strike being blocked or dodged with ease. Screeching to a halt, Leif slashed in a wide arc across its midsection, spinning to strike the fist coming at him away. The beast bound back, attempted to shower the area with an array coins. Leif took a deep breath, parrying any of the coins that came close.

"And just like a nerd in the popular prom area, you have officially run out of options." Leif mused, cranking the hilt of the blade.

_**Preparing for the hunt…**_

The blade lit up with a black miasma, a spiral of black fire and pressure forming around it, making it rock and vibrate With a deep breath, he struck in a wide vertical arc, launching a powerful wave of charged darkened aura and fire, tearing the ground out from under it, and striking the beast in mid-air.

_**Crescent Wrath!**_

The monster was blasted in two, the wave splitting it down the middle. The blastwave tore through the clearing, annihilating trees, dirt and stone alike, rumbingling loudly. It reached the sea not to far away, carving a line through the currents before fading away slowly. The beasts scales chipped away piece by piece as the body reformed. The skin morphed, color rapidly returning and the body reconstructing back into a more human shape and color. Within minutes, a naked man was sitting in front of him, gasping for air, pale as death.

It appeared this man wasn't a monster for very long. That meant he could still come back. Good. Those brothers deserved each other, especially after this hard time. With a sigh, he dropped the watch at his feet, catching his attention.

"Hey, sorry about the snatching thing. If I had known just how much that watch meant to you-"

Abruptly, the man shrieked in shock and fear, pointing directly at Leif. "M-Monster! Monster! Get away from me! Stay away!" With that, the man picked up the watch and sprinted away, situation completely forgotten.

Leif stood there, frozen for a little bit, trying to comprehend what just happened. With one more heaving sigh, he de-transformed, staring solemnly at the grass.

What else was he expecting? Grimm was a monster after all. No, _the _monster. The apex predator among a collection of wandering commonfolk. They look at him and scream. They look at _him_ and…

Leif grit his teeth in frustration, hands curled into fists.

/

The walk back felt more like a walk of shame. The bike could stay where it was. No matter. It would come when it was called anyway. Everything felt the slightest bit normal until that dreary sense of foreboding danger appeared again. That burning sense. Another monster was close by, but why did it have to be now of all times? The very idea of transforming at the moment made him feel tired and… hungry.

Leif bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Anything to get away from that train of thought.

When he arrived back into the town, the hustle and bustle hadn't died down yet. Children were admiring their new toys and candy, parents were on the verge of silent exhaustion but still managed somehow. Props to them. Ruby however, spotted him out of the crowd and raised through them, becoming a blur of rose petals as she outright tackled him to the ground.

"Can you not do that next time?" Leif groaned, back against the dirt. "I really like my spine aligned, thank you."

"No time! Transform! Now please!" Ruby sputtered loudly, sweating from a lot of running presumably.

Leif blinked in stunned shock. "What the hell is the matter with you? Is it that monster? Don't worry about it, I just need some time."

"We don't have time!" Ruby shouted. "We need that spandex butt back in combat fast! Please! I-It's Yang… she turned into one of those… things. Dad's gone and I… I don't know what to do!" She said, shaking in panic.

Leif sighed. "I.. can't. I'm… hungry-"

"What?!" Ruby screamed. "My sisters life is hanging in the balance, and all you're worried about is getting a meal? What is wrong with you?"

"You don't understand! I need to have a full stomach to keep my form up! It's just how it works and… I…" Leif hesitated, ears growing very hot. "You… don't want to know what I eat."

All Leif could feel right now was despair. There was no avoiding it. If he had to transform… he needed to hunt.


	3. Episode 3: Playing With New Toys

_**So yeah, its been a while. **_

_**I'm not gonna lie, I hit a major burnout, and struggled with a lot of things back home mentally. Don't worry, I've gotten much better now, but I finally did something worth while, and plan to make a schedule for myself, as it would help a lot. Please, PLEASE comment what you think, it really helps me out, and thanks for your time. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

The Vale City Magnolia Highrise. The lap of luxury meant for one who bears the mighty title of hero. Walls painted white and gold, shining in the sunlight, authentic wooden furniture, couchs filled with what Sora would like to call "mystery fluff" with how soft it was, antiques such as masks and ornaments from various kingdoms, all the sorts of things to paint royalty. To add to the splendor was a tall glass window, taking up one side of the entire wall, showing a good view of the beautiful city of Vale. A living example of the perks of being a hero.

Sora Fae basked in the warm glow, breathing in the gentle scent of burning hickory filling his nostrils. A grin spread across his face. This was what he deserved, of course. A Rider taking on the rigors of foes much stronger than even the most experienced of hunters can even touch? To the victor go to the spoils, as they say. What else would Sora deserve? Anything less than perfect would simply not do.

He brushed a hand through his stark white hair, staring over the city of Vale, body still steaming slightly from the hot shower. The towel had an odd feel to it, sort of making him miss the Driver normally clipped to his hip. He sighed, looking back at the door as it slowly opened, showing a pink-haired, curvaceous woman strolling into the room, sneering.

"Can you try for ten minutes to remember that your skinny butt isn't sexy?" She snarked.

"I would consider it if you remember how to knock." Sora quietly replied. "What do you want? Have any Vectors been seen in the area?"

"Oh no, nothing that serious."

Sora narrowed his eyes on her. "Then why are you here, Thalia?"

"Oh, little ol' me?" Thalia jeered. "Nothing much. Just offering something with a little more 'oomph' so to speak. The Vectors haven't been giving you much excitement, it seems." Sora only grunted in response. Thalia's grin widened. "Did I catch it right on the money?"

"So the evil of Grimm walks again?" Sora purred, tapping his fingers along the wooden table. "How sickening. Can that wolf in sheep's clothing stay dead for one moment?" The simple drumming turned to rapid jabbing, teeth grit.

"Oh ho, someone doesn't like that our little Leify's won the cockroach award. It's not every day that the devil boy outruns the savior of humanity not once, but twice." Thalia mused, finding a little amusement in Sora's anger.

Sora shot a glare at her, jaw clenched, fingers scraping lines into the wooden surface. "Thalia, curb your tongue. Ever since the plague of the Vectors began their plague, the day that Kamen Rider Grimm reared his evil head, I made an oath. I would vanquish evil in all forms from this broken world. Scrub it clean of the filth and tyranny. Create a truly blissful elysium for all worthy of it. As long as that abomination still exists, my world can never come to fruition. Do you understand?"

Thalia scoffed. "More than you know. Now pay attention." She whipped her scroll out, quickly typing to the world map section. "The monster-man here is on an island called Patch. It's secluded, very easy to pass by, a real shit-show if I'm honest. He should be busy dealing with another one of the Vectors."

"Very well." He clutched the Aura Driver, feeling it hum with raw power. "Beware, Beast. For no monster escapes retribution. Not even one as powerful as you."

/

Being a veritable freak of nature with a certain set of powers that men only find in their worst nightmares had its perks. For one, not many people tend to bother you. Great for a genius with the social depth of a kiddie pool. Outside of that secret feeling of loneliness, it was good for a bit of peace and quiet. Of course, it came with its fair share of downsides. Not being able to sleep, sudden animalistic urges, thinking sniffing nearly every object you come in contact with is somehow socially acceptable, and a very selective diet that would drive even the bravest of warriors away.

Leif was used to it. It had gone one for two years nearly. A little chaos here, some devastation there, with a little heroic tragedy to wrap it up in a nice tight bow, you had Grimm. In all honesty, he had no idea what he was anymore. The details leading up today were a tad hazy, and what little information there was to remember was too painful to think about. The process of maintaining those powers was a tad barbaric. He couldn't use them without some food in his stomach, as the powers of Grimm fuel off it. Sounds easy enough. Pack some jerky with you, maybe a small sandwich in a bag or two and you're good to go, but it was more complicated than that. He needed to eat what a Grimm ate, and only that. Anything else would get upchucked.

In other words, it was time to find him a Grimm.

Leif laid flat against the grass, coiling his finger around a few strands to keep his mind occupied. It wasn't too hard to draw one out. Just focus on the most vicious, horrific, outright terrifying thoughts you could think of, let those emotions through, and done. You have yourself a monster straight from the depths of hades after your sweet, succulent flesh. The moment it shows up, it would be time to show a little reversal play on the rules of nature and prey on the predator. That was the thought process anyway, but it seemed like Ruby wasn't sharing the sentiment.

The ironic thing about being a hunter, not many of them were very good trackers, especially the younger ones. Hiding up in a very visible branch, arms and legs clamped on for dear life while she fiddled one-handed with binoculars, Ruby stared around the horizon for anything out of the ordinary. If anything, you had to admire the work ethic she had, common sense be damned. Still, physics is a beast and decided to play with her by snapping the branch under her, making her fall to the ground with a loud squeal.

"Daring. Dashing. Devilish if I do say so myself." Leif said smugly, clapping slowly. "How does the dirt taste down there? Like shame and sadness? Fractured pride?"

"Shush, you," Ruby growled, spitting out dirt and brushing herself off. "You try it next time and see how you like it. Oh who am I kidding, that was a terrible idea."

Leif shrugged. "Don't sweat it, it comes with the territory. Just look at my life. It's a constant inner monologue of 'why did I just do that'." He snickered, getting back to his thoughts, and the task at hand. Of course, playing the waiting game was probably torture on Ruby, with her fingers constantly drumming against her thigh.

"This is taking way too long," Ruby complained impatiently. "It shouldn't take this long just to find a single Grimm. Why are we even doing this anyway?"

"Just relax a little." Leif reasoned. "The monsters are generally avoided by the Grimm. Once a monster's in the area, the Grimm just up and shove off. Think of it as an apex predator in the face of a bunch of sheep. Although, there should still be stragglers. At least one or two. At least I hope there's one this time."

"You mean there's no guarantee?" Ruby demanded.

"Of course there isn't." Leif clarified. "Now calm down. Seriously, you're gonna end up attracting the wrong crowd if you're not careful."

"Calm down? Why aren't _you_ more worried, huh?" Ruby shouted, shaken and jittery. The stress was clearly getting to her.

"Because one of us has to be the voice of reason here and it sure as hell isn't gonna be you. So calm down. The blood vessels in your body need to stay intact, thank you very much." Leif quipped, getting back down into position. Barring confidence in mind, the chances of finding a Grimm were becoming slim to none. The sun was already going down. The anticipation was probably stabbing every methodical nerve in Ruby's body, like a crazed mental surgeon, trying hard to find everything that hurt, and exploit it. Enough. What point would there be left to just be laying here all day?

"Ruby, I'm going to sound like a jerk for this, but we have to cut it out for now," Leif said. Ruby shot a glare at him, but nodded, teeth grit in frustration.

"You're driving me crazy, Leif," Ruby growled.

"You wouldn't be the first one," Leif replied, standing up and brushing the dirt and dust off his hoodie. "Don't look at me like that. Who would have thought creatures of mass chaos and misery were this damn good at hide and seek?" He quipped with a small smile. Just a little joke to ease the tension. Defuse the chocolate-strawberry bomb standing before him if you will. Too bad Rosy Cheeks wasn't having it, flinging a rock at his chest that stung just a little bit, but he didn't react.

Leif opened his mouth to speak only to get a mouthful of rose petals as the angry reaper raced off in a burst of red. He sighed. "You just can't win today, can't you Leify?" His stomach suddenly growled, a feeling of dread befalling him. Beads of sweat dripping everywhere, a slight ringing in his head, double vision starting to manifest, just some of many symptoms that made hunger a living hell. Leif began working through random mental exercises; counting, picturing a wolf running in circles around him, anything just to keep the insatiable appetite down.

Deep breaths. Keep control. The moment control was gone, it was all over. No one could stop him then. Stand and breathe, one after the other. With one last breath, the ringing slowly subsided, some peace of mind returning. When he opened his eyes, the time had flown by, the sun already down with a deep orange and blue hue coating the sky. He sighed, trudging back to the Xiao-Long residence, feeling a tad upset at the botched plan.

When Leif entered the house, there was a slow rhythmic thudding against the wall in the living room. To no surprise, it was Ruby bumping her head against the wall repeatedly, muttering complaints and curses under her breath. Leif sighed, feeling a tad helpless. Maybe a little humor could set the mood straight.

"Well now, how articulate. How intelligent, Rosy Cheeks. Lemme guess, lemme guess for a moment… morse code?" He asked, flashing a cheeky grin. "Does this happen to stand for 'dear brother gods, kill this fluffy red-head before I do it myself'?"

Ruby groaned. Leif flinched just a little. Humor definitely wouldn't cut it. It kind of sucked having the emotional range of a teaspoon as they say.

"Would it kill you to talk to me for a bit?" Leif asked.

"Maybe," Ruby mumbled, adding another slam for good measure.

"You know I can handle this, right?" Leif said assuringly, sitting on the couch, stretching out.

Ruby sighed, sitting next to him, rubbing the red bump forming on her forehead. "It would really help if you believed what you were saying." Leif could only grunt back, shoulders slumping. The reaper was sharp as ever. She dipped her head back, jaw clenched, eyes following a blade on the ceiling fan. Her mouth repeatedly opened and closed, trying hard to push something out. "Can we… even save her at this point."

Leif watched her shudder. He could feel it in his bones. With a heart of gold like hers, that question alone must've burned her throat raw.

"We still have time. About three to four days I wager until…" He cleared his throat, voice trailing off.

"Until what, Leif?" Ruby asked impatiently, gripping the leather couch top hard enough to pierce the surface with her fingernail.

"Until she fully converts. What monster thing that's inside her will completely take over and devour the human host inside. Yang won't be Yang anymore." Leif confessed.

Ruby choked back a sob, losing her place in the ceiling fan, eyes watering. "So that means if we can't do something, she's going to die? Just like mom?" Leif flinched once more, unable to answer. There was silence for a moment, the only sound being the low droning of the ceiling fan. Then to his shock, Ruby burst out laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What in the world is the matter with you?" Leif asked, worried, fighting between retreating and hugging the life out of her.

"It's so typical now, don't you realize that? No matter who I meet, or who I want to keep around, they always go away in the end. Without a shadow of a doubt." She rasped between breaths. "My mother, my team, my own sister… Pyrrha." She grimaced hard, nearly outright cringing. "And I just have to carry on. Just keep going, Ruby, because _who else will_?" those last words came out as a loud screech, her quickly picking up a lamp and flinging it against the wall, shattering it completely.

Leif couldn't take his eyes off her, trying to find anything to say, thinking of anything to do to help her, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything, and it tore him apart.

After a few heavy breaths, she stared Leif dead in the eye with a tight glare. "Every night, I see her die. Over, and over, and over again, just because I was too slow. I can't even sleep anymore without…" her voice trailed off in a little whimper, her curling up into a little ball on the couch, shuddering. "I can't. I just can't lose anyone else. Not again."

At that second, something clicked. A matter of urgency. Something that had to be done. Leif bunched up some courage, racing over to her side, and hugging all of her as tight as he could. "Just stay here. I'll fix this by tonight, even if I have to tear this entire island a-freaking-sunder." With that, he dashed for the door, yelling for Taiyang to follow him, which he did, looking a little confused.

The pair sprinted through the woods, following Leif's wickedly accurate sense of smell. As most of the Grimm had gone into hiding under the threat of the apex predator that was the Monster Grimm, the only one with a powerful scent of danger like that had to be Yang. "Hurry it up, old man. We don't have any more time to lose!"

"Hold it, will you?" He shouted back. "Where's the fire now? I thought you said you couldn't transform yet! At least, that's what Ruby told me. What, are you hiding more things from us now?" He accused.

"Can we not talk about this now?" Leif said dismissively. At that moment, a meaty hand closed around his arm, yanking him back. Leif glared back up at the father. "Excuse me, blonde buster, I think the audience wants to know what in the living hell are you doing?"

"Trying to ask why you're charging ahead like some kind of masochist!" Taiyang explained. He sighed, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. "What's going on with you? Normally, you're going off at Ruby for being impatient, and here you are charging the forest at nine o'clock at night. What's gotten into you?"

Leif chewed on his lip, staring at his feet. "Just looking at her back there reminded me of a few things, that's all. Of what I wanted to be when I was younger." He felt his heart warm a little at the thought of it. "Look, I just… really don't want to see her cry. Is that so wrong?"

Taiyang stood in silence for a moment, staring, lips pursed, and eyes narrowed. Only crickets could be heard for a bit, a slight bit of tension hanging in the air. "Would you look at me now? The Demon-Cherry Boy with an appetite straight out of a horror movie trying to sound just the slightest bit human." Leif chuckled, shaking his head. "It's enough even to make a madman ponder, isn't it?"

"What are you really doing here?" Taiyang asked.

Leif's gaze went blank, staring up at the stars above. "To be honest, I don't really know. A lot of things happened back in Vale. I thought it would be better to just bail and go somewhere else for the time being. Just turn to one direction and just keep following that flow 'till something worth fighting for comes my way."

Taiyang's eyes flared with brief anger. "And the safety of the world isn't worth fighting for?"

"Why would I fight for the world when the world did this to me?" Leif answered back soullessly. He sucked air in through his teeth, turning away and yanking his arm back. "C'mon pops. We've got a teenage brat to ground."

The pair strode off again, following the thick scent of the Monster Grimm, approaching a very open clearing. In the middle of the thick tufts of grass laying below, the Grimm stood dormant, letting out a few reverberating growls.

The beast was just as surreal as the last, a humanoid Grimm filled to the brim with what could only be assumed as white, and red dragon scales. Grimm bone swirled around her body, making for quite a sickening display, with what was left of her once beautiful face a twisted mass of thick skin and muscle. The only thing of Yang remaining was a messy mane of blonde hair that was lit ablaze like a bonfire. The intense heat lit the grass beneath her aflame, making it charr and smolder, bursts of pure heat blasting Leif and Taiyang in the face.

"Phew boy," Leif breathed. "So, question. Would it be rude of me to say that your daughter's really smoking hot?" Leif could almost hear the record scratch going on in Taiyang's head as he spun around, arms crossed and scowling. Leif chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I was only kidding. Can't always have the best coping methods, can you?"

The Monster Grimm stood there, probably still deep in hibernation, not noticing the pair just yet. Leif stood at the ready, behind a tree, a rapid feeling of trepidation quickly taking hold. He took out his Grimm Driver, hesitating a bit before slapping it around his waist, the straps securing almost hungrily to him. He took out his Beowolf vial, hesitating once more, gut clenched, nervous beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. With a deep breath, he jammed it into the open mouth, saying "Hen-"

Within an instant, blood splattered out of his mouth, chest heaving, forcing him to his knees. Intense pain wracked his midsection as if his organs had just compacted and reformed in a split second, leaving a shaken mess of sickness and nausea behind. A dull ringing filled his ears.

"Yeah. Yup. Bad idea." Leif gravelly rasped.

"Are you okay?" Taiyang shouted, forgoing all cover and bending to his side.

"Right as rain." Leif sputtered back, spitting the last of the blood out before leaning limply against the tree, shivering and weak. Taiyang's fingers interlocked, clenching tightly, him muttering unintelligibly under his breath.

"What just happened to you?" He asked in a softer tone.

Leif pointed at his Driver. "This little bugger is constantly hungry. Whenever I transform, it devours whatever is in my stomach. The more I eat, the stronger I am. If my stomachs empty, the Driver just eats my stomach."

Taiyang's eyes bulged out with how wide his eyes shot open. "Your… entire stomach?"

"The whole enchilada."

"How are you still alive?"

"Simple. I'll heal it back." Leif sighed, focusing on every wound accumulated over the brief time. The bark slicing through the palm of his hand, the lining of his throat tearing, his stomach closing in on itself, and quickly, coated in a black haze, it healed. Taiyang raised a brow, rubbing his chin. "Badass, yeah? Thanks to the strain of transforming, I can't heal like this while in my Rider form, but out of it? Fair game."

Taiyang sighed in relief. "Thank goodness." He looked back up at Leif with a rigid smile. "Ruby would skin me alive if you died."

"You've only known me for a few days," Leif said with a brief chuckle.

"A few days is enough. You saved my daughter, you're trying to save my firstborn, you don't seem to have any bad intentions," He listed.

Leif scoffed. "It would help if I had any kind of intention at all."

"Even so, you're trying to help even if you don't have a path. Let me at least try to be concerned about you." Taiyang soothed.

Leif didn't know what to say, feeling his heart skip a few beats. He smiled at this new feeling. How many other people could he ever call a friend? "Thanks. That means a lot."

Taiyang stood up, hands on his hips. "Now what do we do? The last time I tried fighting something like that, I nearly broke every bone in my body."

"And I hate to say it, I'm near useless without this damn belt," Leif muttered angrily. "Do you know how to attract any Grimm?"

Taiyang shrugged. "Think unhappy thoughts?"

"Way ahead of you."

Taiyang's fists balled up, clearly in thought of something dark. Something from the past perhaps. Leif was preparing to do the same, trying to dredge up the worst memories possible. Events were already starting to bubble up, a sharp phantom pain in his chest making him flinch, along with an urge to scratch it, interrupted by something small swooping over his head and landing on a branch.

A black crow.

Leif stared at it with a brow raised, but Taiyang just seemed to glower at it, a strange mixture of anger and relief. Staring at that crows bleak dark eyes sent shivers down Leif's spine. It was as if those eyes were piercing daggers into his brain. Something rustled the bushes behind it, stepping out to greet them with drooling fangs.

A Beringel. The Gorilla Grimm. There was nothing supremely special about it. It was just the luck of the draw. The Grimm seemed to respond to the callout, turning from the hoard and boring its one-eyed gaze at the red-head. Leif grinned from ear to ear. "And me without a banana. Oh wait, you do eat banana's right? Or is that an offensive stereotype?" He jeered. The Berigel roared ferociously. "Yeah, thought it was."

The Grimm charged, kicking up dirt and grassed with its furiously paced footsteps. Leif sucked in air through his teeth, standing his ground, arms wide. The Beringel brought both of its fists down, trying to smash Leif flat, but he braced both of the massive fists on his shoulders, gripping tight. The two grappled briefly, each trying to fling the other off of their feet, with Leif managing to sneak a fist out and jabbing hard, plunging his fist deep into his chest.

"Well excuse me for being politically _correct!_" Leif roared, tearing a chunk of mystery meat out of the Beringel, the Grimm halting dead in its tracks, slowly fading away, leaving that clump of flesh behind, still in his grip.

Leif grimaced, hand shaking. "Bon appetit." With a deep breath, he pinched his nose shut and devoured the disgusting black meat. The rancid, sour taste was nearly enough to make him gag, but tightened his gut and swallowed it all down, feeling sickened and nauseous. There was something else however, a thick pressure in his stomach. Power reverberated through his body, making it vibrate a little.

He pulled out an empty dust vial, focusing the newfound power in the form of a black miasma into his hand, and filling it to the brim. The vial morphed, coated with black and red, the face of a beringel etched into the top piece. Leif bounced it in the palm of his hand, grinning ear to ear.

"New toys, new games, new possibilities," He mused, plunging the vial deep into the mouthpiece of his driver, prompting a dark metal tune. "Let's see how you work. Henshin."

_**Species Realized. **_

_**Smashing, Crashing, Pulverizing, Strength of ten thousand men, Make way for Kamen Rider Grimm, species Beringel! **_

A rush of white fire burst forth from his body, skin hardening and expanding into white, black, and red-streaked armor, fists bulking up slightly with thick white bone armor. The faux wolf ears were gone, replaced by a collection of small black spikes resembling tufts of hair. Taiyang approached slowly, eyes squinted at the new form.

"A new toy?" He asked.

"And new possibilities." Leif followed, cracking those new knuckles. "Just enough to get the job done. Don't worry. Even with this curse, I will make her smile again."

Taiyang let out a little scoff. "I sure hope you can."

Leif didn't waste any time, charging out into the clearing, kicking up dirt with the sudden burst of speed. The monster was quick to react, thrusting its armored fist for his face. Blocking it against his enlarged knuckles, gliding it across the bone armor, delivering a quick jab to the monster's skull, making an oddly metallic clanking sound as armor met scale.

The blows came flying wildly from the monster, grunting in animalistic frustration with each missed attempt as Leif deftly weaved through each attack, lashing out briefly with his own. A few of the monsters managed to connect, cracking like a gunshot with each blow, nearly forcing him back. It was odd. He could see them coming, but couldn't react and move away in time. The Beowolf form was lightning fast. This Beringel one felt like sliding through jelly in comparison.

"Okay, can we take five for some kind of trial run? Cuz' I-" A burning hot scaly fist smashed into his visor, knocking his head back like a bobblehead. Leif stumbled back a bit before dropping unceremoniously onto his rear. "Ugh, I guess not."

An incoming flaming uppercut was unleashed. He flipped himself up, the flames licking the underside of the visor. The relentless attack continued, fists flying for any available place, the burning heat intensifying to the point where the grass underfoot began to char and smoke. Leif bounced back, pushing off the momentum of one of her powerful punches, screeching to a halt, panting.

_Cut the theatrics out. _Leif thought furiously. _New form, new rules. Fight harder, not smarter. Think. What are your advantages? _

His eyes darted around the area. Nothing to use practically, unless the monster straight out of a bloody horror story suffered from hay fever. Certainly beating it over the head with a rock would just piss it off more. Maybe it was time to get creative. On the other hand, since all the mobility was sacrificed, just how much strength did he gain?

A little hum reverberated from the Driver, as if calling for him. With a deep, bated breath, he punched the jaw piece down, a burst of heat rising bursting at his fists. Purple flames coated the beefy knuckles, the raw power making them vibrate slightly. A familiar deep, graveling, almost animalistic voice called from it.

_**Strike Power Times Two. **_

The Grimm Monster charged again, hair glowing brighter. No doubt it's strikes would be all the more powerful now. Dodging its claws by a hair, ducking under it, Leif struck it's bare stomach with a rapid uppercut. A sharp crack echoed around the clearing, followed by a reverberating boom, a shockwave pushing outwards with enough force to push down a few nearby trees. The scales along the base of her ribs had been cracked.

An opening. Leif sucked in a breath, punching down the mouthpiece once more, then a second time, then a third.

_**Strike Power Times Two, Four, Eight. **_

_**Oblivion Finish!**_

Leif roared, hooking his empowered right fist into the Grimm Monsters cracked midsection. All at once, the scales shattered like glass, a shockwave exploding outwards once more, this time much stronger. The Grimm Monster skidded across the dirt, upheaving chunks of it, smashing through trees and stone alike before exploding with a sharp screeching shriek.

The dust settled. It seemed everything had settled down. Once the smoke cleared, the monster was gone. In its place was Yang in a crater, knocked out cold, and just like the man before, completely bereft of… clothing.

"Oh no no no no no." Leif panted, de-transforming quickly, rushing over to drape his hoodie over her bare body. "I am not in the mood to play the debate game with Johnny Law, no thank you!" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm gonna have to carry her back, aren't I?"

/

The next hour was interesting, to say the least. Try imagining holding an exhausted bombshell, in more ways than one, across an island built on the idea of paranoia. Cameras, pedestrians, Nightwatch supplied by way too many patrolmen, almost to the point of convincing him that they were somehow being made off a factory line, the works. Having an obnoxious father breathing down your neck didn't make the labors any better. It felt like a miracle getting back to that sweet cabin the Xiao-Long's call home.

The door was flung open inches from the tip of Leif's nose as Ruby rushed over to help carry her sister in. Tears were shed on the spot, with Ruby crying without restraint, just happy to have her sister back. Leif saw himself out as they got Yang up to her room, taking some time out to admire the stars outside, laying in the tufts of grass just shy from the house.

It may have been his senses finally calming down after a long time of constant alertness, but that feeling was back. That warm glow. A sense of happiness that welled deep in his system. He couldn't help but smile, feeling rather giddy. The job was done. He fought the odds. He had done some good again, and it honestly felt great, no matter just how campy the emotion was, he was glad to have it. He gave the sky a toothy grin, flashing a thumbs up.

"Oh sweet nature. The bane of my existence. You're hard to love, but even harder to hate," He chattered to no one. "You could stand to make life just a little bit easier on me, though. Just saying. It would be nice."

"Nice try, Leif, but I don't think the trees talk back," Ruby mused, sitting beside him. "Unless that is yet another special ability that I don't know about. You seem to have a lot of those. Like one that lets you punch forests apart and stuff like that."

"To tell the truth, some of this new crap is a new experience for me too. How the hell was I supposed to know that my fists suddenly had a god mode cheat code on it? Leif jeered. "How is she, by the way?"

"A little frazzled and bruised, but stable. Dads taking good care of her right now. With any luck, she'll be up and at'em by tomorrow morning." Ruby explained, looking as though an entire mountain's worth of weight had just been lifted off of her shoulders. "Really, though, thank you."

Leif rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a tad flustered. "Look, it's cool, I don't need any thanks."

"I think you do. Honestly, what I told you back there, I'm not even sure if I told dad or not. Then some nice guy shows up and makes me spill all my guts. You listened and tried to help me, whether you understood or not, and I really appreciated that." She said, a smile growing more with each word. "I felt pretty alone for a while, especially with my team gone and my sister ignoring me, but you just really made me feel better just knowing you're there."

"Aw, jeez," Leif mumbled, head downturned, ears glowing bright red. "Why would you be thanking me for that? All I did was sit there, slack-jawed, gawking like you grew four more limbs and sang itsy bitsy spider while climbing the fireplace." He sighed. "Is that a tad much? Sorry. I just… uh…" Leif's voice trailed off, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Really, that's all it took. Sometimes, we don't need advice. We need someone just to listen, or hold us. Something subtler like that. It's kind of the hero I imagined myself being one day," She giggled at the mess the Cherry-Demon boy had become. "What happened to all your sass?"

"Gone the moment you decided to tug on a few of his heartstrings." He bemoaned.

"Seriously though, thanks. I owe you." She said with a smile.

"Anytime, Rosy Cheeks."

"I'm only going to ask you this once, kid. Let go of my daughter." Taiyang warned dangerously behind them. Ruby backed up, face screwed up a little in anger.

"Dad, don't start babying me again, I'm not in the... mood." Her voice trailed off, eyes wide.

"What's everyone gone all buck-eyed for?" Leif asked, leaning over to the laptop in Taiyang's hands. A not so flattering picture of Leif was on it, a scowl with blood plastered on his left cheek. On a wanted add no less. He froze in place, mouth agape.

"You have some explaining to do, boy."


End file.
